Erin

I can't believe this book exists

I wanted to like this book. I've never read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, so I didn't have any expectations for Chbosky. It had a strong start and a fascinating premise, but it wore on and on until I felt like I was finishing the book out of spite.

By a little past halfway, the “twist” felt obvious and I was tired of being browbeaten withe repetition that began to read like “WOW THIS IS A METAPHOR!” and “SYMBOLS!”

Again, I really had high hopes, but this book could have been half the length and just as pointless.

As the child of two dead narcissists, this book captures so many of the emotions and experiences that I've never quite been able to explain.

Jennette is able to convey so much of her horrific upbringing without it ever feeling horrifying. She leaves many details unsaid and respectfully conveys her own story while not editorializing the lives of those she overlaps with. Looking forward to what comes next!

I read a lot of literary fiction, but try to take in a diversity of content. Sometimes you just need to read something that is going to pull you in and entertain you, especially if you tend to gravitate to books that continuously bum you out for the sake of intellectual stimulation. Jeneva's TikTok intrigued me, because her personality and sense of humor seem fantastic. So I embarked on what I anticipated to be either a cynical snark read or, at best, a delightfully surprising romp through a smut-adjacent beach read.

This isn't literary fiction, and that's okay. It's easy to read and contains the twists and intrigue it promises. If you don't take yourself or your reading so seriously, this is a great book to just enjoy and not over analyze. Could I offer critique of the plot, characters, and general concept? Yeah. Is that fucking stupid to do considering this book has done just fine as it is? Yep.

If I'm being a snobby bitch, this book is not great. But if I'm being someone who enjoys taking in a story and seeing how it goes, this is book is perfect.